Real estate terminology can be hard to decipher — for example, what the heck is a maisonette? That might lead to you questioning another confusing term, what is a duplex apartment? A recent search of NYC and northern New Jersey listings that include the word “duplex” brought up nearly 1,700 sale listings. But what makes these units different from other apartments with additional levels? Here is everything New Yorkers need to know about this distinctive apartment type.

Manhattan Homes Under $750K on StreetEasy Article continues below

Fulton/Seaport

100 Beekman Street

$735,000

1 |

1

Turtle Bay

333 East 43rd Street

$725,000

2 |

1

Murray Hill

303 East 37th Street

$588,000

1 |

1

Hudson Heights

854 West 181st Street

$439,000

1 |

1

Gramercy Park

205 Third Avenue

$675,000

1 |

1

Sutton Place

303 East 57th Street

$435,000

1 |

1.5

Yorkville

400 East 90th Street

$700,000

1 |

1

South Harlem

258 West 117th Street

$400,000

2 |

1

South Harlem

29 West 119th Street

$495,000

2 |

1

Lincoln Square

116 West 72nd Street

$575,000

1 |

1

Lenox Hill

315 East 70th Street

$725,000

1 |

1

East Village

636 East 14th Street

$550,000

1 |

1

What Is a Duplex Apartment?

While it’s unclear how duplexes first came to the NYC real estate market, they did inspire headlines when the last luxury prewar apartment building hit the market in the 1930s. The building located at 19 East 72rd Street housed more duplexes than any other floor plan type. So what separates a duplex apartment from other multi-level units spotted on StreetEasy? Here are a couple of guidelines:

First off, a duplex apartment is a two-floor unit connected by stairs or an elevator. Sometimes the lower level is a basement.

Second, both floors must have a legal minimum ceiling height of 8 feet. For example, an apartment with a loft bedroom with a ceiling height of 5 feet is not a duplex, even if it has stairs.

You might see the term maisonette used when describing a duplex. But, here’s the thing, a maisonette could be a duplex, but it also has a private entrance from the outside, while duplexes do not. What about split-levels? Apartments in this category have multiple floors connected by staggered and short sets of stairs.

Manhattan Rentals Under $3,200 on StreetEasy Article continues below

Manhattan Valley

71 West 109th Street

$2,650 base rent

1 |

1

Lenox Hill

210 East 67th Street

$2,750 base rent

Studio |

1

Inwood

83 Post Avenue

$2,344 base rent

1 |

1

Fort George

11 Fairview Avenue

$2,190 base rent

1 |

1

Inwood

87 Post Avenue

$2,345 base rent

1 |

1

Washington Heights

509 West 155th Street

$3,000 base rent

2 |

1

Hudson Heights

728 West 181st Street

$2,350 base rent

1 |

1

Fort George

671 West 193rd Street

$2,250 base rent

1 |

1

Lenox Hill

414 East 78th Street

$2,600 base rent

Studio |

1

Manhattan Valley

196 West 108th Street

$2,888 base rent

2 |

1

East Harlem

2319 Third Avenue

$2,267 base rent

Studio |

1

Hamilton Heights

611 West 137th Street

$2,597 base rent

1 |

1

Are Duplex Apartments Easy to Find?

Although available as rentals, co-ops, and condos, generally, duplex apartments are relatively rare. They represent a very small percentage of available listings: less than 9% of sales and less than 4% of rentals. You may also be surprised to know that the demand for the unique layout isn’t very high.

“Duplex units are not a popular trend given that most have stairs rather than elevators,” says Agent Karen Kostiw of Warburg Realty. “Stairs in apartments eliminate a large demographic from purchasing an apartment given their lack of easy of use and hazards (i.e., falling).”

Plus, it’s cost-prohibitive for builders. So, newer ones are not as likely to hit the market, adds Frederick Warburg Peters, CEO of Warburg Realty.

With that in mind, buyers are more likely to find duplexes in neighborhoods with more prewar constriction like the Upper East Side and Central Park West. In some instances, if someone wants a duplex in a building where they don’t exist, the person can buy two apartments and combine them. According to Kostiw, if purchased early on in the development process, having the sponsor combine them can be part of the negotiation.

Brooklyn 1-2BRs Under $800K on StreetEasy Article continues below

Fort Hamilton

9437 Shore Road

$689,000

2 |

2

Brighton Beach

35 Sea Coast Terrace

$549,999

2 |

1

Stuyvesant Heights

88 Marion Street

$575,000

1 |

1

Homecrest

3395 Nostrand Avenue

$439,000

2 |

1.5

Williamsburg

139 Meserole Street

$748,500

1 |

1

Bedford-Stuyvesant

566 Gates Avenue

$549,000

2 |

1

Sheepshead Bay

2800 Coyle Street

$426,000

2 |

1.5

Bergen Beach

1513 Royce Street

$669,000

2 |

3

Sunset Park

4022 Eighth Avenue

$598,000

2 |

1

Stuyvesant Heights

88 Marion Street

$750,000

1 |

1.5

Gravesend

2652 Cropsey Avenue

$429,000

2 |

1

Crown Heights

954 Bergen Street

$650,000

1 |

1

Pros and Cons of Duplex Apartments

As with any real estate purchase, there are always pluses and minuses to consider. Here are the pros:

More room: Of course, single-floor apartments can be larger square-footage wise. But having two floors is going to give more of that house-like feel. And they are exceptionally roomy if you have two floors of equal size.

More privacy: Two floors, especially if the bedrooms and living areas are separate, means there’s more space for people to spread out. For example, parents can entertain downstairs while the kids sleep upstairs.

More affordable than a townhouse: If you’re wanting single-family style living without the price tag, a duplex is a good option price-wise. A one-bedroom duplex in Yorkville is just $690K, where a townhouse in the same neighborhood asks $7.99M.

Access to amenities: Since duplexes are situated within a larger building, you would have access to any communal amenities available.

Here are the cons:

Managing stairs: Spiral staircases are not uncommon in a duplex as they are space-saving. But they can be more treacherous for some. “This type of staircase is not for anyone who is not steady on their feet or for use by small children,” says broker Gerard Splendore of Warburg Realty.

Finding a sensible layout: “The first question you should ask yourself is whether or not the layout makes sense for you,” says agent Mihal Gartenberg of Warburg Realty. “For example, where are the bathrooms located, and are they easy to access in the middle of the night? There are cases where the bathroom is on a separate floor to the bedroom.”

Queens 2-3BRs Under $800K on StreetEasy Article continues below

Rockaway Park

136 Beach 117th Street

$775,000

3 |

2

Kew Gardens Hills

144-27 Grand Central Parkway

$385,500

2 |

1.5

Forest Hills

110-11 Queens Boulevard

$759,000

2 |

1

South Jamaica

140-04 123rd Avenue

$429,900

2 |

1

Forest Hills

68-20 Selfridge Street

$385,000

2 |

1

Oakland Gardens

67-46 224th Street

$408,000

3 |

1

Kew Gardens

82-40 Austin Street

$365,000

2 |

1

Glendale

86-15 77th Avenue

$785,000

2 |

2

Woodside

63-11 Queens Boulevard

$399,000

2 |

1

Flushing

137-08 31 Road

$628,000

2 |

2

Forest Hills

110-11 Queens Boulevard

$790,000

2 |

2

Flushing

37-20 Prince Street

$739,000

2 |

1

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